If everything was the same , nothing changes in the circumstances or actions, but if both teens were black, this would be seen for exactly what it is , a senseless , unjustified killing of another youth. There would be no claims that Anthony was defending himself, no $600,000 fund raising, no seeing him as the victim, no uproar over the verdict, no weighing in by rap stars or politicians. Degenerating into tribalism serves no one , and undermines racial relations.
So true. Both persons being the same race would do nothing for the carpet baggers, opportunist, grifters and those looking to platform their performative self-righteousness; no Humility, no Grace, no God.
The secondary crime would be that another senseless murder would be ignored or “just accepted” by all parties. There would be no debate over who “deserves” what. Debates over who gets to be the victim would be minimal at best, but more likely non-existent.
*Deserve is up to God for determination - not man*
All the people who gnash their teeth over the absence of justice (both sides of any aisle) would not be present, nor voicing their “outrage”. The silence would be deafening and an insult to all Americans.
You’re not going to have two white guys running track pull this gangsta move , unfortunately this is a young black thing. Karmelo comes from rather privileged , middle class family in an affluent Dallas suburb. I have to wonder if he was trying to gain some street cred by playing the tough thug guy , “you’re not going to do anything, you’re a bunch of pussies”. I seriously doubt he would have pulled this with another black kid; he would have gotten his ass kicked. This is a failure on the part of his parents, especially his father, not teaching respect and how to conduct yourself so your family can be proud of you.
What is being done to a family grieving the death of their murdered son is absolutely dispicable and everyone contributing to it reveal themselves as emotional lowlife. I have to believe they do not represent the vast majority of the black community. All “communities” have elements that embarrass them.
Also if something like this has occurred at any time in the past between two Black track athletes at a competition, you can bet your bottom dollar the story would have long been excavated and making its rounds on social media.
What's been so disturbing about the racialization of this entire incident is that in the absence of any of the typical factors folks would point to to to justify the racialization, they still do so on exclusively the basis of his race. Simply because Karmelo is Black, something specifically "Black" must have caused him to do what he did. It reminds me of something De Tocqueville said in his seminal 1831 work "Democracy in America:" "To induce the whites to abandon the opinion they have conceived of the moral and intellectual inferiority of their former slaves, the negroes must change; but as long as this opinion subsists, to change is impossible."
I dunno about the gangster stuff. Plenty of white tough guys who carried knives in high school when I was there (went to middle and high school in Texas). I could see a white kid doing the same.
I don’t disagree that maybe he was trying to appear a certain way but I’ve heard mixed tales of his affluent life.
Someone posted screen shots of the family FB where they bragged about their life style: brand new Lexus for his birthday , luxury vacations , cruises with two outside cabins with private balconies , extravagant birthday celebrations in LV, living the high life. Likely blocked now as they claim he is penniless inspite of fund raising $633,000 where a defense in that Texas county for similar case would be $100,000 - $250,000 which leaves around half million unaccounted for. There's something that doesn't feel right about this family.
I think he was a young black kid living a life of privilege who wanted/needed to show he wasn't soft ,and this was a way to do that. Can't imagine him pulling the same stunt with another black kid. Find out how much street cred he has when he gets to prision.
I just edited this as Texas , unlike CA and many other states ,does not have murder one and murder two , it's murder and capitol murder. Problem in not checking laws across states and not checking the validity of previous posts on substack. I still thingk 35 years is too much and he'll be eligible for parole in 17 years. . In CA they could have gone murder two with approx 15 years or less and parole in 1/2 time served. Texas is seriously hard ass on this.
The white dudes carrying knives are not the ones running track; too much commitment, dedication, and hard work. I think he is extremely rare among black teens who would take a knife to a track meet in an affluent Dallas suberb, he’s likely a one off.
That’s true that make white dudes who wield knives wouldn’t be at a track meet. Lots of ropers would have some for hunting but that’s true of most country types. I do think he’s a one off as well though.
I haven’t seen that particular post but maybe I’m misremembering from a conversation with a friend. Either way, he needed jail.
I can’t imagine guys, white or black , going to a track meet worried that a fight might break out and I best have something to defend myself. There’s a lot here that doesn’t make sense and we’ll likely never know. Prison is right , 35 years is excessive.
I believe humanity is ultimately moving toward a higher level of consciousness—one in which identity-based divisions no longer define us. The path to that future must be paved with bold, independent, out-of-the-cave thinking, precisely the kind of thinking exemplified in this article.
‘As Christians, we must advocate for earthly justice with clarity. Support systems that punish wrongdoing without partiality. This means that we must also reject attempts to racialize every tragedy, especially when activists reduce complex human failures to oppressor-oppressed scripts. Vote for leaders who uphold the impartial rule of law. Pray for judges, attorneys, jurors, and law enforcement.” Yes and amen!
Hoodwinked by the “hood” and “polite” society. Why wouldn’t a young black male who has developed emotionally, mentally and cognitively over the past 10 years not think that a “CIST white male” be deserving of anything less than contempt. It starts at the top, academia, media and Congress. It’s then reinforced by peers, family and selective law enforcement. It all results in a never ending stream of messaging that being white is an “inherently privileged” life.
Carmelo could have grown up in the richest suburb, with two loving parents, being provided with all he needed and wanted. Austin could have come from the deepest deprivations of Appalachia and the storyline stays the same; Carmelo is a victim because he has to play “catch up” in life.
We have a whole generation (all races) that have been indoctrinated - the Religion of Woke is a major influence on school boards and universities. Like any religion it’s about who is righteousness and who is not. Our children have been (and still are) been taught to worship victimization and to be on the “right” side of it.
Combine all this with parents who came from a place where everyone gets a trophy and no kid can do wrong and you end up with Austin murdered and Carmelo sitting in prison “legitimately” confused as to why he’s not being given a medal of valor
If it were such a hokey "peaceful event" then why on earth would a young man be forced to leave cover from rain just because he happened to duck under the wrong one initially? Maybe I'm missing something but anymore it's always about how people are supposed to be too stupid to understand indirect threats and no, I am not threatening you. Oh, nevermind.
There can be no celebration of any kind. Two families will forever be changed. Nothing can change that 1 thing. Pray for understanding of failure and how to heal and the future of the families.
A thought provoking essay. I don’t share your religious PoV but I appreciate your argument, your sincerity & your honesty. A tragedy that M. Anthony felt it necessary & wise to bring a knife to a track meet and then use it in the heat of the moment. An even greater tragedy that it cost another young man his life.
As you surmised, The key issue was bringing the knife to a peaceful event. Track Athletes are dressed in shorts and tank tops, in essence the most peaceful of sports uniforms imagineable, bringing a knife to such an event is just asking for trouble.
If everything was the same , nothing changes in the circumstances or actions, but if both teens were black, this would be seen for exactly what it is , a senseless , unjustified killing of another youth. There would be no claims that Anthony was defending himself, no $600,000 fund raising, no seeing him as the victim, no uproar over the verdict, no weighing in by rap stars or politicians. Degenerating into tribalism serves no one , and undermines racial relations.
So true. Both persons being the same race would do nothing for the carpet baggers, opportunist, grifters and those looking to platform their performative self-righteousness; no Humility, no Grace, no God.
The secondary crime would be that another senseless murder would be ignored or “just accepted” by all parties. There would be no debate over who “deserves” what. Debates over who gets to be the victim would be minimal at best, but more likely non-existent.
*Deserve is up to God for determination - not man*
All the people who gnash their teeth over the absence of justice (both sides of any aisle) would not be present, nor voicing their “outrage”. The silence would be deafening and an insult to all Americans.
You’re not going to have two white guys running track pull this gangsta move , unfortunately this is a young black thing. Karmelo comes from rather privileged , middle class family in an affluent Dallas suburb. I have to wonder if he was trying to gain some street cred by playing the tough thug guy , “you’re not going to do anything, you’re a bunch of pussies”. I seriously doubt he would have pulled this with another black kid; he would have gotten his ass kicked. This is a failure on the part of his parents, especially his father, not teaching respect and how to conduct yourself so your family can be proud of you.
What is being done to a family grieving the death of their murdered son is absolutely dispicable and everyone contributing to it reveal themselves as emotional lowlife. I have to believe they do not represent the vast majority of the black community. All “communities” have elements that embarrass them.
Also if something like this has occurred at any time in the past between two Black track athletes at a competition, you can bet your bottom dollar the story would have long been excavated and making its rounds on social media.
What's been so disturbing about the racialization of this entire incident is that in the absence of any of the typical factors folks would point to to to justify the racialization, they still do so on exclusively the basis of his race. Simply because Karmelo is Black, something specifically "Black" must have caused him to do what he did. It reminds me of something De Tocqueville said in his seminal 1831 work "Democracy in America:" "To induce the whites to abandon the opinion they have conceived of the moral and intellectual inferiority of their former slaves, the negroes must change; but as long as this opinion subsists, to change is impossible."
Stosh Wychulus: "Degenerating into tribalism serves no one."
Stosh Wychulus in next post: *degenerating into tribalism*
I dunno about the gangster stuff. Plenty of white tough guys who carried knives in high school when I was there (went to middle and high school in Texas). I could see a white kid doing the same.
I don’t disagree that maybe he was trying to appear a certain way but I’ve heard mixed tales of his affluent life.
Someone posted screen shots of the family FB where they bragged about their life style: brand new Lexus for his birthday , luxury vacations , cruises with two outside cabins with private balconies , extravagant birthday celebrations in LV, living the high life. Likely blocked now as they claim he is penniless inspite of fund raising $633,000 where a defense in that Texas county for similar case would be $100,000 - $250,000 which leaves around half million unaccounted for. There's something that doesn't feel right about this family.
I think he was a young black kid living a life of privilege who wanted/needed to show he wasn't soft ,and this was a way to do that. Can't imagine him pulling the same stunt with another black kid. Find out how much street cred he has when he gets to prision.
I just edited this as Texas , unlike CA and many other states ,does not have murder one and murder two , it's murder and capitol murder. Problem in not checking laws across states and not checking the validity of previous posts on substack. I still thingk 35 years is too much and he'll be eligible for parole in 17 years. . In CA they could have gone murder two with approx 15 years or less and parole in 1/2 time served. Texas is seriously hard ass on this.
The white dudes carrying knives are not the ones running track; too much commitment, dedication, and hard work. I think he is extremely rare among black teens who would take a knife to a track meet in an affluent Dallas suberb, he’s likely a one off.
That’s true that make white dudes who wield knives wouldn’t be at a track meet. Lots of ropers would have some for hunting but that’s true of most country types. I do think he’s a one off as well though.
I haven’t seen that particular post but maybe I’m misremembering from a conversation with a friend. Either way, he needed jail.
I can’t imagine guys, white or black , going to a track meet worried that a fight might break out and I best have something to defend myself. There’s a lot here that doesn’t make sense and we’ll likely never know. Prison is right , 35 years is excessive.
Excellent essay. Thank you
https://paulspooner2.substack.com/p/humanity-for-me-symbolism-for-thee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7lg80u
Excellent article. Thank you for sharing.
I believe humanity is ultimately moving toward a higher level of consciousness—one in which identity-based divisions no longer define us. The path to that future must be paved with bold, independent, out-of-the-cave thinking, precisely the kind of thinking exemplified in this article.
‘As Christians, we must advocate for earthly justice with clarity. Support systems that punish wrongdoing without partiality. This means that we must also reject attempts to racialize every tragedy, especially when activists reduce complex human failures to oppressor-oppressed scripts. Vote for leaders who uphold the impartial rule of law. Pray for judges, attorneys, jurors, and law enforcement.” Yes and amen!
Hoodwinked
Hoodwinked by the “hood” and “polite” society. Why wouldn’t a young black male who has developed emotionally, mentally and cognitively over the past 10 years not think that a “CIST white male” be deserving of anything less than contempt. It starts at the top, academia, media and Congress. It’s then reinforced by peers, family and selective law enforcement. It all results in a never ending stream of messaging that being white is an “inherently privileged” life.
Carmelo could have grown up in the richest suburb, with two loving parents, being provided with all he needed and wanted. Austin could have come from the deepest deprivations of Appalachia and the storyline stays the same; Carmelo is a victim because he has to play “catch up” in life.
We have a whole generation (all races) that have been indoctrinated - the Religion of Woke is a major influence on school boards and universities. Like any religion it’s about who is righteousness and who is not. Our children have been (and still are) been taught to worship victimization and to be on the “right” side of it.
Combine all this with parents who came from a place where everyone gets a trophy and no kid can do wrong and you end up with Austin murdered and Carmelo sitting in prison “legitimately” confused as to why he’s not being given a medal of valor
If it were such a hokey "peaceful event" then why on earth would a young man be forced to leave cover from rain just because he happened to duck under the wrong one initially? Maybe I'm missing something but anymore it's always about how people are supposed to be too stupid to understand indirect threats and no, I am not threatening you. Oh, nevermind.
There can be no celebration of any kind. Two families will forever be changed. Nothing can change that 1 thing. Pray for understanding of failure and how to heal and the future of the families.
Beautifully written and excellently framed.
A thought provoking essay. I don’t share your religious PoV but I appreciate your argument, your sincerity & your honesty. A tragedy that M. Anthony felt it necessary & wise to bring a knife to a track meet and then use it in the heat of the moment. An even greater tragedy that it cost another young man his life.
As you surmised, The key issue was bringing the knife to a peaceful event. Track Athletes are dressed in shorts and tank tops, in essence the most peaceful of sports uniforms imagineable, bringing a knife to such an event is just asking for trouble.
What a calm, wise perspective. This resonates strongly even for someone who wouldn't use a Biblical lens to try to understand the case.